Public and private sector leaders moved to create the National Quality Forum (NQF) in[unreadable] late 1999 out of a shared sense of urgency about the need for valid, reliable, and[unreadable] standardized healthcare performance measures to support and advance public[unreadable] accountability, quality improvement efforts, increased patient safety, and value-based[unreadable] purchasing.[unreadable] Currently, NQF has over 350 members reflecting broad participation from all parts of the[unreadable] healthcare system. Largely through the efforts of NQF, standardized healthcare quality[unreadable] performance measures are becoming available for use at both the local and national levels[unreadable] and through all care settings. With the increased adoption of NQF endorsed(TM) voluntary[unreadable] consensus standards, dialogue and collaboration among all healthcare stakeholders has[unreadable] become increasingly critical.[unreadable] NQF?s Annual National Policy Conference has become an opportunity for healthcare[unreadable] stakeholders to come together to learn about the latest developments in healthcare quality[unreadable] and to discuss the challenges and opportunities in implementing NQF-endorsed voluntary[unreadable] consensus standards.[unreadable] A focus of NQF?s 8th Annual National Policy Conference is the implications of pay for[unreadable] performance and public reporting for performance measurement. The structure of the[unreadable] meeting reflects what the Members and public have indicated as the most beneficial (i.e.[unreadable] plenary sessions, panel discussions, and small group breakouts) These sessions enable[unreadable] attendees to learn about significant trends in healthcare quality and engage in focused[unreadable] discussions on implementing performance measures and other tools in their[unreadable] organizations.